Today, Tomorrow, Always
by VCLvcl123
Summary: Sequel to One new message. You should really read that first. Castle and Beckett are back at the precinct. will things change now that everything is back to normal? Lanie/Esposito Caslte/Beckett fluff.
1. He's back

Kate glanced in the direction of the elevator for the thousandth time today. He should be here by now. God she was being really impatient. You would think it's been years since she saw him last… it had only been a week. She started tapping her pen and looking over the murder board. No matter what she did she couldn't get him out of her head. Her phone started to ring. Maybe it was him with and excuse as to why he was late. Although they hadn't really set a time for when he would be coming into the precinct. He just said he would be coming by today.

"Beckett." She answered and was annoyed when it was Lanie on the other end of the line and not Castle.

"Hey girl, I got something I think you should see down here." Lanie said.

"Be down in a second." She said and hung up her phone. She looked at her watch; it was a little after two and she hadn't eaten yet. After seeing Lanie she would definitely need to go get something to eat. _But what if he comes and I'm gone? _Her mind asked but she shook it off and pressed the down button on the elevator.

Lanie was waiting by the elevator door when the doors opened.

"Took you long enough." She said and grabbed Kate's hand, pulling her to an examination table. The body lying there was Jason Herd. He was twenty two and his parents had both claimed they hadn't seen him in years.

"So, what did you find?" Kate asked.

"Not a lot, just that the knife used was definitely one used for wood carving. There were slivers of oak in the wounds." Lanie said.

"Okay, is that all?" Kate asked wondering why Lanie didn't just tell her this over the phone.

"Pretty much." Lanie said. "So… have you seen writer boy yet?" Lanie asked. Of course she had an ulterior motive for bringing Kate down here.

"No, not yet. He said he would be by sometime today but hasn't showed up yet." Kate said.

"Well, I'm sure he will be by soon." Lanie said looking around Kate at the door that had just creaked open. When Kate turned around she half expected to see Castle but it wasn't him.

"Hey Esposito." She said as she started to leave. "Lanie I'll talk to you later let me know if you find anything else. And Espo, did you guys find the roommate yet?"

"Not yet, sorry boss." He said and then she trotted away to the elevator. _Ugh this case is going nowhere! _Kate mentally yelled. They had been working on it for two days and still couldn't find the roommate.

When Kate stepped off the elevator she felt a smile creep up on her face. Sitting on her desk was a steaming cup of take out coffee.

… ….. ….. … ….. … … … ….. …

Castle watched her walk to Kate walk to her desk from the break room. She looked so beautiful. They way she sashayed her hips, and the way her hair flowed.

She grabbed the cup and looked around, looking for him. He stepped out from the break room and their eyes locked. Her deep green eyes were so easy to get lost in. He walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug.

"God it's great to see you." He said.

"It's great to see you too." She said taking a sip of her coffee. "It has been a long week." She said.

"You can say that again." He said and she looked at him questioningly. "It's just that, Alexis's last day was parent's day and… Meredith showed up." Kate had a slightly sad slightly jealous look on her face. "Nothing happened, I promise. She was just really annoying the whole time. You know how she gets. She made everything all about her when it was supposed to be all about Alexis." He said and Kate squeezed his hand.

"How is Alexis?" She asked.

"She's wonderful. She had such a great time in college. Wow, I can't believe in just a short amount of time my baby girl will actually be in college." He said and Kate smiled at him.

"Hey Beckett." Ryan called from across the room. Kate looked up at him. "We found the roommate."


	2. Time flys

**Chapter two here so soon. I hope you guys like it. **

* * *

"Damn." Kate said, exhaling.

"What, this is a good thing, he confessed." Castle said. "He even had the murder weapon with him. Case closed."

"I know it's just, now we have no work to do." She said. Castle smiled.

"How about you come over for dinner tonight?" Castle offered.

"Oh why not?" She said.

"Great. Alexis will be so excited. I hope you don't mind that I told her. I figured it wasn't a secret anymore now that everyone here knows."

"No, yeah, that's fine." She said.

"Well, I'm off then. I will need to clean up a little before you come over." He said. She stood up and kissed him goodbye. She had missed the feel of his lips.

"See you in a while then." She said. "Does it matter when I show up?"

"Nope, come whenever you want." He said and disappeared.

…. …. …. … … ….. … … ….. …. …..

Kate had just finished straitening up her desk and was getting ready to head home to change when her phone beeped. A text from Lanie.

**HELP! I need you. NOW!**

Kate felt her heart sink and hurried and text her back.

**What happened? Where are you?**

She didn't know if Lanie was still at work and the elevator was so slow these days she didn't want to waste time for the trip down to the morgue if she didn't have to.

**I'm at home. I'm not in trouble or anything like that so doesn't worry like you do, just get here ASAP!**

Kate let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She felt her heart start beating again. _Jeeze you shouldn't send texts like that without specifying that you are alright. _She thought to herself as she text Lanie back.

**On my way.**

…. … … ….. …. ….

Kate knocked on Lanie's door and waited. Her mind was searching for a reason Lanie could be so upset that she would need her here now. What if Esposito broke up with her? If he did Kate decided she would kill him.

The door opened and a scared looking Lanie looked out at Kate.

"Hey girl." Lanie said but it didn't have its normal upbeat tone to it.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kate asked sitting down on the couch.

"It's um… well… I'm um… Kate I'm pregnant." She said and at first Kate wanted to laugh. It seemed like a joke to her, but the look on Lanie's face said this was no joke.

"Are you sure?" Kate asked.

"Yes, I'm positive." She said.

"Are you going to keep it?" Kate asked although she already knew Lanie would say yes.

"Of course I am." She said.

"Then what's wrong?"

"How… how am I going to tell Javier?"

"I don't know, but I will help you if you want. Lanie he will be thrilled, don't worry." Kate said and saw Lanie relax a little. She wrapped her in a hug and they just sat there.

… ….. ….. ….. …. ….. ….. …. … ….. …

"I still can't believe it!" Alexis said.

"What's that?" Castle asked. His daughter had changed so much over the summer. She seemed more mature if that was at all possible. He had missed her so much that he kept just randomly hugging her.

"That you are dating detective Beckett. It is so cool. I'm so happy for you. You two make such a cute couple." Alexis said and he smiled. She was never really enthusiastic about any of his other girlfriends so he was happy that she was okay with this because he saw it going far.

Just as Castle set the last plate down the doorbell rang. He opened it and saw Kate standing there, looking as beautiful as ever. The moment Kate stepped a foot inside Becks ran and jumped on her.

"Hey girl, I missed you." She said scratching her ears.

"Kate!" Alexis yelled and came running up. She wrapped her arms around Kate and she hugged her back. Castle smiled at that. He loved that Kate and Alexis had a good relationship.

"So, what's for dinner?" Kate asked as Castle took her jacket.

"Well, I went extra classy tonight and made spaghetti." He said as they all walked to the table.

"You made spaghetti, more like you stirred." Alexis said and Kate laughed.

"Okay fine, I helped; Alexis wanted to make dinner tonight. There is Spaghetti, Salad, and garlic bread." Castle said.

"Sounds yummy." Kate said and Castle noticed she had a far off look on her face like something was on her mind.

* * *

**So i just wanted to let everyone know that this story wont go like Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday. I will be skipping days, maybe weeks, just so that you get to see Lanie's baby by the end of the story and so that the story doesnt seem to drag out and last forever. **

**Well, let me know what you think. Like it? Hate it? Review and let me know cuz i really really really would love to know. **

**Ta Ta for now**


	3. Lanie

**So this chapter is all about Lanie telling Esposito about the baby. Sorry Castle isnt even in this Chapter. Hope you like it!**

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Lanie's POV

"But why?" Lanie asked Kate.

"Because he needs to know… it's been two weeks. You can keep this from him forever. Eventually you will start to show and he will know."Kate said.

"Can't I just wait until tomorrow; I'm already having a bad day." Lanie said.

"How are you having a bad day?" Kate asked. She always did like asking the tough questions.

"Okay, well, not necessarily a bad day, it's just, I have my first appointment today and he would probably want to come and it would just be weird." She blurted out and Kate smiled.

"Well eventually you will have to tell him and he will go to the appointments with you. Why can't that be today?" Kate asked.

"Fine… I will tell him… but what if he gets mad?" She asked.

"Lanie, he loves you, he won't get mad." Kate said and Lanie felt a smile creep across her face. She liked hearing that Esposito loved her even if he hasn't said it himself yet.

"Okay." Lanie said.

"Alright then. I need to get back to work. Let me know how it goes." Kate said and walked away.

Lanie just stood there looking at nothing in particular. _How am I gonna tell him? _

… … ….. … … … ….. ….. …. ….. ….. …. … …. …..

Ryan's POV

"Dude! Dude! Dude!" he said as he walked up to his partner. "I just heard something I think you might want to know." He said and Esposito looked up at him curiously.

"I sent you to get Beckett…where's Beckett?" He said unfazed by Ryan's attitude.

"That's just it, I went down to the morgue to get her and I heard her and Lanie talking."

"What did they say?" Esposito asked, his interest grabbed at Lanie's name.

"I think you should sit down." He said and Esposito looked at him for a minute and then sat down.

"What is it… what did you hear?" He asked.

"Well, I was outside of the morgue, by the elevator and I heard…" His sentence was cut off by Beckett grabbing his arm and leading him to the break room.

"What are you doing?" She asked. _Damn she's pissed._ He thought to himself. _It makes her look kind of hot. _At that thought he shuddered.

"He needs to know." Ryan said defensively.

"She is going to tell him, you need to let her do this." She said tightening her grip on his arm.

"Okay…ow… I won't say anything." Ryan said and she let go. She was almost out of the break room when she turned around.

"If you ever listen in on another one of my conversations again you won't live to tell what it was about." She said. They both knew it was only half a threat. He would probably just loose an arm or something.

….. ….. …. …. ….. …. . … ….. ….. …. …. ….. ….. ….

Esposito's POV

Esposito looked at the clock and decided it was a good time for him to take a break and go see Lanie. He hopped on the elevator and pushed the button. After only a couple floors the elevator stopped. The doors opened and Demming got on.

"Detective." Demming said. Esposito had felt bad for Demming the beginning of the summer but after he started being a complete ass to Kate he decided the detective didn't deserve his sympathy. If Demming didn't get off the elevator soon his anger, towards the man who hurt a woman who was basically his sister, would boil over and he would do something he would regret.

The elevator dinged and Demming scurried away. Esposito let out a breath and waited for the doors to close. Once they did he relaxed. The elevator dinged again and he got off, excited to see Lanie.

"Hey babe." He said as he walked in. She looked distraught. "What's wrong?" He asked concerned. For a minute she just closed her eyes like she was trying to make a decision.

"Javier… I need to tell you something."

"Okay?"

"You might want to sit down." This is the second time he had been told this today and he wondered what everyone but he knew. He sat down on an examination table and looked at her, waiting.

"So…" He said.

"Well, the thing is… is that." She said but stopped.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Don't get mad okay?"

"Okay."

"I'm pregnant." _Holy shit! _He hadn't expected that. He felt like he might throw up or pass out.

"It's mine right?" He asked. He decided he would have to kill someone if it wasn't.

"Yes of course it's yours." She said sounding hurt that he would think such things. After a long silence she spoke again. "You don't have to worry about anything. I can do it by myself; I just thought you should know." She said and it was his turn to be hurt.

"No." He said.

"No what?"

"No, you won't be doing this by yourself. I will be here all the way." He took her head in his hands. "Lanie I love you and I will love this baby. I'm here and I'm staying." He said and she smiled and kissed him.

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**SOOO? Please Review. I love reviews. I live for reviews... :o I just remembered i have to start school tomorrow! Its wierd that im starting on a tuesday. Oops lost my train of thought.**

**So ya.. if you review i will be verrrrry happpppy!**


	4. Uh Oh

**Okay so there are a couple things i want to say. **

**First, i'm sorry it has taken me a while to update. School is already kicking my but. It sucks. i have to wake up really early, sit it some boring classes, re-take a class i took and passed because i took the class before highschool becuz im advanced so it didnt count for a highschool credit. (Sorry if thats hard to understand) :( It really pisses me off. Anyway, then i go to cross country practice and run a bunch so i get home tired and i have to shower. Then i do homework. By the ttime i finish homework i have to eat and go to bed. Its vey tiring. Anyway, enough rambling.**

**The second thing is that im sorry this chapter is so short. **

**And third...THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS! You are all so wonderful and i am glad you are liking the story. I hope you like this chapter.**

* * *

"Kate are you ready yet?" Lanie asked from the living room of Kate's apartment. They were going to a work dinner for Labor Day weekend.

"Just give me five more minutes." She yelled back. She put on her favorite earrings and fluffed her hair.

"We are going to be late." Lanie yelled again.

"No we're not." Kate said coming out of her room. "I'm done." She said and grabbed the keys and a jacket.

"About time." Lanie said and they exited the apartment.

…. … … …. …. …. ….. ….. … …. ..

"Okay kiddo, what do you want to do tonight?" Martha asked Alexis.

"I need to study Grams." Alexis said. She had been back in school for a week and was already stressing out about homework. Of course, she had finished her homework hours ago, now she was doing the extra credit.

"No you need to loosen up." Martha said plopping down on the couch next to her with a bag full of movies. "How about a pizza and movie night?" Martha asked and Alexis smiled.

"Okay, but only because it's not a school night." Alexis said. "I'll go call for pizza."

"No need, I already did. Actually that was a while ago, it should have been here by now." Martha said.

"Do you want me to call and check on it?" Alexis asked.

"No I can." Her grandmother said and she drifted to the kitchen. Alexis used this time to do a little more work. When her grandma came back she had a funny expression.

"What?"

"Well, the pizza guy was in an accident on the way here. They said they will make a new pizza and it will be on its way soon." She said.

"I hope the pizza guy is okay." Alexis said.

"He's probably fine, now, what movie should we watch?"

"Um…" Alexis looked through the videos. "We should watch… How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." Alexis said.

"Sounds good Kiddo." Martha said as she popped in the movie. "While we wait for pizza do you want some popcorn?" She asked.

"Sure, why not." Alexis said. She was still worried about the pizza guy even though she had never met him. Something about that night just felt wrong to her.

…. ….. ….. …. ….. …. …. … … … …. ….. ….. .

Castle glanced quickly around the restaurant for the thousandth time. The girls were ten minutes late and he was already worried.

"Ease up, they'll be here soon." Esposito said although he was also clearly worried. He hasn't wanted to let Lanie out of his sight since she told him. Castle knew he was being silly, worrying already, but it wasn't like Kate to be late and not call.

The waiter walked up and refilled every ones water glasses. "Are you sure I can't get you anything else while you wait?" He asked.

"No we are fine, thanks." Montgomery said from across the table. After a few minutes Castle's phone rang and then seconds later Esposito's started to ring.

"It's Kate." Castle said at the same time Esposito said 'It's Lanie.'

"Hey, where are you?" Castle asked. Kate's voice on the other line made his heart drop.

"Don't freak out okay?" Kate said in a shaky voice.

"Why, what happened?" Rick asked.

"Rick, we've been in an accident." Kate said and Castle turned to Esposito who had a horrified look on his face.

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**Ooo...It seems Lanie and Kate found the pizza. **

**So basically You want more you are going to have to review. **


	5. When Pizza Attacks

**Alright,, i am using the weekend to my advantage and am trying to write alot. I dont want to go to fast and have it all come out bad though. **

**This chapter is longer then the last but still not that long. I hope you like it. **

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"Are you okay? Where are you I will be right there?" Rick asked frantically.

"We are fine. We are at the hospital." Kate said and looked at Lanie in the bed next to her. Lanie was sitting up and was fine. The doctor said the baby was fine And Lanie only had a few bumps and bruises. The other car hit Kate's side of the car.

"I'll be right there." He said and then Kate heard the click. A few seconds later Lanie put down her phone.

"Men." Lanie said.

"I agree." Kate said.

"Are you sure you feel okay?" Lanie asked.

"Yeah, it's just a dislocated shoulder." Kate said trying not to look like she was in too much pain.

"And three bruised ribs." Lanie said. "Why did you refuse the morphine?" Lanie asked.

"Because I don't need it. How are you feeling?" Kate asked. Lanie was about to answer when there was a noise from down the hall.

"Wait, if you're not family, you can't go in yet." A nurse said. Then Esposito and Ryan tumbled into the room.

Esposito ran strait to Lanie's side. Castle stopped by the foot of Kate's bed and just looked at her.

"What?" She asked. He looked worried and relieved at the same time.

"I need you to promise me something." He said.

"Okay." Kate said.

"Never scare me like that again." Castle said and walked closer to her, taking her hand.

"I promise." Kate said and Lanie let out an aw.

"So, how are you?" He asked, stroking back her hair to see the couple scrapes and bruises.

"I'm fine. It's just a dislocated shoulder, three bruised ribs and a couple bumps." Kate said.

"And Lanie, how are you?" Castle asked but Kate tuned out and just stared at Castle. That is when she knew, without a doubt, that she loved him and he loved her.

"So anyway, I can go home whenever but the doctor wants to keep Kate over night to watch the bump on her head." Lanie said.

….. …. … …. ….. ….. …. … ….. … …. …

"Oh my god. Are they okay?" Alexis asked.

"Yeah, they are fine. I'm going to stay here at the hospital tonight. Are you going to be okay with your grandmother?"

"Of course, I will be fine." Alexis said and paused. "Hey dad, who did you say crashed into them?" She asked.

"The pizza guy, why?" Rick asked and Alexis let out a little chuckle. "What? What's so funny?"

"It's just that… that was our pizza. It was taking forever so we called and they said he got in an accident."

"Small world." Rick said. "Alright well I love you."

"Love you too."

"Night."

….. ….. …. ….. … … ….. ….. ….

_Kate was on a beach. It was their beach. The one Castle had brought her to. She was looking out at the water when she felt an arm on her shoulder. She turned around and it was him. He was looking at her so sweetly. Her heart was fluttering just looking at him. He had torn down her walls and weaseled his way into her life and she was truly happy. She couldn't imagine her life without him. He was always there when she needed him. She knew he would do anything for her. He had proved that more than once. _

"_I am so in love with you." She said before realizing she said. He looked at her for a long time before talking. _

"_I am in love with… pizza?" He said with a confused look on his face. _

"_What are you talking about?" She said feeling herself get angry and embarrassed at the same time. Why had she said it first? _

"_Pizza." He said and pointed behind her. She turned around and sure enough there was a giant pizza flying towards them. _

"_Duck." He said but she didn't have time. The pizza hit her and wrapped around her. She was trapped. _

… … … …_. ….. … ….. …. …_

"Kate. Kate wake up." Castle said shaking her slightly. He woke up to her stirring and mumbling something about cheese. She had sweat pouring down her cheeks and whatever she was dreaming about didn't seem pleasant.

Her eyes opened and she shot up and he could see the pain that it caused her.

"Hey, your okay." He said.

"I was having this really weird dream." She said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"No, you'll laugh at me."

"I promise I won't."

"Okay, well, I was on the beach you took me to, then you showed up and we were talking and you randomly said pizza."

"Why did I do that?" He asked.

"Well, I was going to get mad at you when you pointed at this giant pizza coming at us. You ducked but it got me." She finished. "I know it sounds stupid but it was kind of scary." She said.

Castle felt himself smile. "I'm sure it was." He said and wrapped her in a gentle hug.

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**You want to know what i think. I think you should review. It would make me very happy. :) :) You want me to ne happy right? So review! O.o**


	6. Best day not so much

**I just realized that i am completely insane. Here i am, comlpaining about how i have no time to write becuz school is stupid and has to last like all freakin day and then i run lots of miles in cross country, so what do i do? I start another story of course. I mean...wow... what was i thinking. I love to wirte, i love it more then everything else i have to do each day, but i just need more time for it. I think Less school each day and more free time. **

**Anywho, thanks for being patient and Please please please review. I want you to review so bad, that i am going to remind youu again at the end of this beautiful (at least i think so) chapter. **

* * *

Today was going to be the perfect day. Kate was determined not to let anything bug her. It was her first day back in the field after two of recovery and she was very excited. She hated going to work and only being able to sit in front of the murder board. She would have been fine if it was just her shoulder, but her ribs are what kept her at her desk.

She got off the elevator and saw the steaming cup of hot coffee sitting on her desk. How Castle managed to get here before her, and keep the coffee hot was beyond her. She just liked that he did. She was reaching for the cup when two long arms wrapped around her, gently squeezing her.

"How are you feeling?" Castle asked as she turned around, still in his arms.

"I'm feeling great. I honestly don't think there was anything wrong in the first place." Kate said. Castle half frowned.

"I have something to ask you." He said, his mood quickly changing. His arms slid from her waist to his sides.

"Okay?" She asked. He had that look on his face. The one that said, she's gonna be pissed.

"Now that we've been dating for a while, how do you feel about the press knowing?" He asked. They had been going to each other's houses for dinner but never out.

"Well, um, I guess we will have to face them sooner or later, why not sooner." She said. She knew she wasn't going to like it at first, but she would get used to it, she hoped.

"Okay, good, because I want to take you on a date tonight. A real date, to a restaurant and maybe a movie." He said. "And it's not like I am going to tell the press, but if there happens to be any I want you to be okay with it." She thought about it for a minute.

"I will be. I am. Sounds like fun." She said not feeling entirely sure.

"That's great. Just remember, it's you and me, all those other people, they don't matter. You matter. We matter." He said. She loved it when he got all sweet.

….. … ….. …. … …. … ….. ….. …

Kate tried really hard not to let it bug her that tonight she was going on a real, public, date with Richard Castle. _Screw the press. _She thought to herself. But still, despite all her effort to have a great, worry free day, it bugged her. Her phone beeped.

**Kate I need you for a second. **

The text was from Lanie. She got up and headed to the elevator. _Hmm…elevator or stairs? _She thought. _I've been doing a lot of sitting soo… stairs. _The stairs made her feel good. Healthy. Plus there was less of a chance of her seeing…. Just as she thought it the door opened and he strolled in.

"Hello Tom." She said trying really hard not to let her anger or sadness boil over.

"Kate." He spat at her like it was venom. Like saying her name might kill him. The look he was giving her showed so much hatred.

"You know what, enough. I get it okay. I get that you are pissed off and butt hurt that I broke up with you. I get that you hate me for being with Castle. I get it. But you really don't have to be such an ass all the time. I AM SORRY. I didn't mean to hurt you. I realize I did but you don't have to be this way." She said, pissed that he had to come along and ruin her day.

Sure it wasn't the great day she thought it would be but still, seeing him look at her the way he did made it horrible. She kept going down the stairs not wanting to look back.

"Sorry." It was almost a whisper yet she still heard it. She turned back to look at him and was surprised that he looked so sincere. His whole domineer had changed. He looked almost like a kicked puppy.

"Me to." She said.

Before she entered the morgue she made sure she didn't still look mad and sad. Lanie needed her. For what she did not know but she still needed her.

"Hey Lanie, what's up?"She said as she entered. Lanie looked up at her and then down at herself.

"I'm fat." Lanie said looking like she was on the brink of tears. Kate quickly went over to her friend and hugged her.

"You're not fat. You're beautiful." Kate said. Once she was out of the hug she got a chance to look at Lanie. She could tell she had gained a little weight but that was to be expected with the pregnancy.

"I couldn't get my favorite pair of jeans to fit today. I love those jeans. What happens if I never fit in them again?" Lanie asked. She had been very emotional ever since the car wreck.

"You will don't worry."

"This day sucks. I wanted to have a good day today, and then I woke up." She said.

"I bet you mine is worse." She said.

"Why, what happened?" Lanie asked.

"Well, tonight me and Castle are going out to eat, like, in public." She said.

"That's great." Lanie said. Lanie had been all for it since before she was even dating Castle. "But that isn't worse than mine."

"I'm getting there. Then, on my way down I ran into Tom. I finally gave him a piece of my mind."

"Good for you. What did he say?"

"He said sorry. He looked sad and like he truly was sorry."

"Hmm… well… I still think my day is worse." Lanie said and they both laughed.

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**REVIEW. Seee told you i would say it again. O.o**


	7. Sick Boy

**I just want to let you all know i Lub you guys. Your all great and i'm happy to have you as readers. Thank you for being patient and waiting. Ive been so busy now that summer is over.**

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"Dad what's wrong?" Alexis asked running into her dad's room. He was hunched over, clutching his chest. She had come in after hearing him have a coughing fit.

"I'm fine. I'll be fine." He said as he slowly laid his head back on his pillow.

"You don't look so good." She said as she bent down to feel his forehead. "You're burning up. Have you taken your temperature?" She asked. She knew something had been wrong when he came home early today. He had said he just needed a nap and he would be good as new.

"No, I haven't." He said.

"Where is the thermometer, you need to take your temperature." She said somewhat demanding.

"In the medicine cabinet in my bathroom." He said. She trotted off to the bathroom and when she came back he was wobbling over to his closet.

"Oh no. Where do you think you are going?" She asked.

"I've got a date with Kate tonight. I have to get ready." He said. She loved that Kate finally agreed to go out but he was in no condition to go anywhere.

"You are going to have to call and reschedule. I'm not letting you go anywhere tonight." She said. He looked at her, and then down at his feet.

"I want to go." He said sounding much like a child.

"Not tonight. You need to lie down and rest so you can feel better." She said.

"When did you become the parent?" He said. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"About the same time you became the kid." She said and smiled. She escorted him back to his bed and made him lay down. He quickly grabbed the covers and wrapped up in them. "Dad you're sweating. Aren't you hot?" She asked sitting down next to him.

"I'm freezing." He said. He probably had the flu or a really bad cold. She put a cover on the thermometer and held it to his mouth but he wouldn't open.

"Dad, I need to take your temperature." She said. He slowly opened his mouth. "Now hold this under your tongue while I go call Kate and cancel. She will understand, don't worry." He gave her his best 'this isn't over' glare and then closed his eyes.

After about two rings Kate answered.

"Beckett." Kate answered.

"Detective, hi, it's Alexis." She said.

"Oh, hi Alexis, did you need something?" Kate asked.

"Um, yeah, I'm sorry to do this two you but my dad can't make it tonight." She said.

"Why, what's wrong? What happened?" Kate asked and Alexis could hear the concern in her voice. She loved that her dad finally found someone who truly cared for him and not just his money.

"He's got a cold. In fact…" She pulled the beeping thermometer out of her dad's mouth. "He has a temperature of 101.3. I'm going to be keeping him in bed for the rest of the night." Alexis said and waited. When Kate spoke again she could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Okay, well, give him my best and tell him I'll talk to him soon and to get better." Kate said.

"I will."

"If you need anything just call." Kate said.

"I will. Sorry you guys couldn't go out tonight."

"Don't be, there are tons of other nights." Kate said.

"Bye."

"Bye." After hanging up the phone Alexis put the thermometer away. She set a tissue box next to her now sleeping father on the bed and then went to get him a glass of water. She set it on his nightstand and kissed him on the forehead.

"Good night dad." She said.

… … …. ….. …. …. … … … .. . .. .. ... .. .. .

Kate kicked off her heels and trotted to the bathroom. She took out her earrings and her hair. She grabbed a wash cloth and washed the makeup off her face. Then she went back into her room to change into something comfier. She sat down on the edge of her bed and put her head in her hands. _Why? _She thought to herself. She had woken up this morning determined to have the absolute perfect day but it seemed like the world was determined not to let her. She was almost asleep when her phone beeped. It was from sick boy himself.

**I'm sorry Kate. We will get to do this. I promise. Good night and sweet dreams my love. **

After reading that text Kate instantly filled with warmth.

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**I dont mean to have the story be all medical drama like but i really wanted to throw a twist in there so that they would have to wait for the date and i wanted to put that text in sooo bad and it just never seemed to fit just right. **

**Well i hope you like it and please please [lease review. I will lub you foreva. **


	8. Testing

**Sorry for the wait but here is the next chapter. I like the chapter i just dont know if they really seem in charecter. Hope you like it and let me know if i made mistakes. **

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Kate was just about ready to go when Castle came walking up with two coffees.

"Hey, where are we headed?" He asked. _Shit he must have forgot. _She thought to herself.

"Castle what are you doing here?" She asked sounding a little harsh when she didn't mean to. He looked sad at the fact that she didn't want him here but that quickly changed as he attempted to mask his emotions.

"Where am I supposed to be?" He asked. He really had no idea what today was. They had been discussing this for a couple weeks. About how he didn't need to come in today because of what was going on.

"Not here. Today is the retakes, remember." His brow furrowed for a minute while he thought about it. Then realization showed on his face.

"Oh yeah, you all have to take psych tests again. I completely spaced it." He said. She smiled. It wasn't called a psych test but that is basically what it was. Every couple of years they had to retake it just to make sure they were still stable enough to be doing their jobs.

"Yes, so there is nothing for you to do here today so you should go home." Kate said hating that she sounded mean. She didn't know exactly why she didn't want Castle around she just knew that she did. She was watching him think something through.

"Can I take one?" He asked. Why would he want to take one? Kate and the boys hated taking them. If they got anywhere below great mental health they weren't allowed to do their jobs. Of course this wasn't Castle's real job. He was just here for re-search and of course to be with her.

"I don't think so." She said.

"Aw come on. Please." He said giving her his best puppy dog look. Damn, why did he have to be so cute?

"I'll talk to Montgomery." She said. And she was going to walk away when he stopped her.

"Thank you." He said as he leaned in and kissed her. _Why does he have to be so great? _Kate thought as their lips pulled apart. It seemed like no matter how long they had been together people still stopped and stared when they kissed. Kate blushed slightly like she always did and Castle smiled.

….. … …. ….. …. …. ..

Castle watched as Kate entered the Captains office. _Please say yes. _He felt like a kid hoping his mom said he could go out and play. Montgomery looked out at him and Castle quickly looked at the murder board. There was nothing on it so it was obvious he was trying to figure out what they were saying. He decided he would just wait and see so he picked up a marker and began to draw.

He never was a good artist but he always loved to doodle. If he was on the phone and was on hold or something he would draw little doodles on a note pad. He would doodle when he was stumped on a part for his books. He drew a big circle on the murder board and then added a straight line and two X's for the mouth and eyes. Then he put a little speech bubble. Of course if the guy was dead he couldn't talk but it still looked funny. In the bubble he wrote 'who killed me and why?' Castle hoped Kate wouldn't get mad. He was adding hair when Kate came out of the captain's office.

"So?" He asked hopefully. She turned and looked at his doodle.

"Nice. Maybe you should have chosen art as your profession." She said with a smile.

"Jee thanks. So what did the captain say?" He asked again. She bit her lip before she answered and it made his belly tingle. She was so irresistible when she did that. That little lip bite was his kryptonite.

"You can." She said. He smiled and hugged her.

"Thanks Kate. This should be fun." He said as she led him to the testing area where Ryan and Esposito were.

….. ….. . …. ….. … ….. … …..

"Wow." Kate said looking at his score.

"What?" Castle asked. He hadn't seen the paper yet. Right when he got it Kate took it from him.

"Am I completely unstable?" He asked.

"No, that's not it at all." She said. She sounded surprised.

"Wow what then? What is it?" He asked.

"You got 100%." She said. Castle felt like he should be happy that following Kate around hasn't made him insane but he wasn't. He liked the fact that he was always considered a little nuts. That's what made him such a good writer. Being able to think like the criminal. Kate obviously saw that he wasn't happy with his score.

"What's wrong Castle. You did great. You even beat me by one percent." She admitted. He liked that she would actually admit that to him.

"Nothing, its great news." He said but he could tell Kate wasn't buying it.

"Castle, this doesn't change anything. This is actually a good thing. This means that you can do what we do all day and then go home and write about it but when you go to sleep at night you are still a sane person." She said and he smiled.

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**So yes? No? Good? Bad? Please review. **

**Oh and OMG I CANT WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW! the episode looks like it is gonna be great. the whole season looks like it is gonna be great becuase it Castle. **


	9. Fall

**Ok, couple of things. First is that Fall is my favorite season. I love it and it is great so i want you guys to know i might be a little more descriptive about the weather. Something about Fall just makes me happy. The leaves changing and falling off the trees, they weather being cool but not cold, the holidays. It's great. **

**Thank you all for being patient with me. I knwo i take a while to update and then the chapters arnt that long but you all still stick with it. **

**Also i know most of you have been probably wondering what happened to their first real date. I was thinking about not writing it just because it would be tough to live up to your expectations but now i have decided that it will be good for me to write it. Okay, well thank you for reading and enjoy. **

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As Kate left the precinct she quickly buttoned up her jacket. The crisp air wrapped around her sending a chill down her spine and causing her to shiver. It finally felt like fall. She jumped into her car, eager to get the engine running and the heat blowing. When she turned the key in the ignition all the car did was grunt.

"Seriously!" She said trying again. The car puttered and grunted and died. Kate looked around. Ryan had gone home about an hour ago. Esposito left at lunch and then called in to say he needed to stay with Lanie. She had no friends she could catch a ride with which meant she had to scrounge up the money to pay for a cab.

She made her way out of the parking garage and onto the main street. She looked right and left before crossing. Then she started to walk and try to hail a cab. She loved the way everything looked. The sun was going down casting a beautiful red-orange glow over everything. The few trees that were planted along the sidewalk were all multi colored and loosing leaves. It was beautiful.

Kate was thankful when she finally got a cab until she climbed in. The car stunk like fish and the driver did not look like a pleasant person. She gave him her address and he started to drive, cursing here and there at people who were doing nothing wrong. That's when her phone beeped.

**We still on for tonight?**

She smiled and looked out the window to see how close she was to home. Then she looked in front at the cab driver.

"What!" he growled.

"Nothing." She said almost feeling afraid of him which was something that never happened to Kate Beckett. She wasn't afraid of pissed off cab drivers.

**If I ever get home. Car died. Had to take a cab. **

She impatiently looked back out the window. She was only a couple blocks away. If the traffic would just move a little faster.

**I'm sorry. If you want I could just come over and we can skip going out tonight.**

No. Kate didn't want to do that. After weeks of everything getting in the way of this relationship and only being able to go out to Remy's after work instead of a real date Kate would do anything to make this happen.

**No its fine, I will be home soon.**

As soon as she pressed send she heard a loud screech and then metal crunching.

"Holy shit." The cabbie said. Kate craned her neck to look around the cabbie. In front of her she saw a black sedan crunched up against a parked car. She jumped out of the cab and ran towards the vehicle. There was only one issue; there was no driver in the vehicle. She checked the back seat and swore under her breath. There was a girl, late teens to early twenties, blood stains on her shirt marking bullet holes. As people started to run up to the car Kate pulled out her badge.

"NYPD stay back please." She said as she pulled out her phone. She would call it in and then call Castle. Something that was natural to her only this time she had to cancel their date. Why did life never work in her favor?

… …. …. …. ….. ….. …. …

"What do we have?" Lanie asked coming up to the crime scene. Lanie and Kate both cracked a smile in the change of things. Normally Kate would be asking Lanie that. Kate looked back down at the body in the car.

"Well all we know is that she was obviously murdered and that no one was in the car with her when it crashed. Or at least that's what I thought until asking around. People who were closer to the vehicle said they thought they saw someone running away from the car. We won't know much else until you get a look at her." Kate said.

She couldn't get over how innocent the girl in the car looked. She wasn't dressed in anything fancy or slutty or anything weird. She looked normal. Like someone you would pass on the street and not really notice.

"Okay, well, I will get to work then." Lanie said. Then Kate heard someone come up behind her. She turned around and came toe to toe with Castle.

"I'm sorry we had to cancel. We have the worst luck." Kate said.

"Not as bad as her luck." Castle said gesturing to the girl in the car. Kate smiled at him and he smiled back. She loved that he understood that her job took up most of her time.

"Beckett." Ryan said jogging up. "We got something."

"Okay?" Kate asked with a questioning look.

"About two blocks away a drug store was robbed about twenty minutes ago. All they took was bandages, gauze, and Advil. There is blood smears in the store as well. The guy who robbed the place was hurt, from the amount of blood pretty bad." He said in a breath.

Kate looked at the front of the sedan. It was pretty totaled. "Could be our guy. Get forensics down there." Kate said then she looked down at Lanie. Lanie was doing her best to get close to the body. Kate could tell when she arived that she had been having a morning sickness kind of day. She hoped Lanie would be okay. "Do we have an I.D.?" She asked.

Lanie took the necklace from around the Vic's neck and tossed it to Kate. That's when Kate realized it wasn't a necklace, it was dog tags. She was in the army. _She's so young. _Was the first thought that went through Kate's mind.

"There is no other source of I.D." Lanie said and went back to work. Kate read the tags.

**Melisa K Darvin. **

"Okay, Castle we are going to go find out about the family and Lanie call me if you get anything. Same thing goes for you Ryan." She said and she started to walk away Castle on her heals. That's when she remembered they had no car. _Damn. _

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**Please review! i will love you forever. **


	10. Lightening the mood

**Super sorry it took me so long to get this up. I've been hella busy and just didnt have the time. I hope you like this chapter. I am trying to keep things light in the case even though it's taking it's toll on everyone. Thanks sooo much for waiting and for reading and for all the reviews i have gotten. You all rock. **

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Ryan and Esposito gave up their car to Kate and Castle. They were riding back to the precinct to see what they could find out about the Vic. Castle was unusually silent but Kate didn't mind. Something about this case already had her feeling a little sad. Maybe it was the fact that this girl had served in the army, or was going to. She seemed kind of young to already be going to war.

After a bit Kate looked over at Castle. She figured he would start talking and get her mind away from the image of Melisa but he didn't.

"What's up?" She asked. He looked her and blinked a couple times as if he forgot she was there.

"What do you mean?" He asked. He obviously was trying to mask that there was something on his mind.

"What's wrong, you seem kind of upset." She asked rephrasing the question.

"It's just that, she was so, so young. And already in the army. She shouldn't be in the army though." Castle said and then looked like he regretted saying that. Why should she not be? If she was old enough she had a right. Even if Castle, or Kate for that matter didn't quite agree.

"Why shouldn't she?"

"It's just that… I don't know why but I have this hunch that she was…. Please don't say I'm crazy okay?"

Kate looked at him. He seemed completely serious. "Okay?"

"I think she might be pregnant. I don't know why I think this I just have a feeling." Kate looked at him trying not to smile.

…. … …. …. … … …

"Writer boy must be psychic because he was right." Lanie said as Kate entered the morgue.

"She's pregnant? Really?" Kate asked eyeing Melisa.

"Yep, only a couple weeks." Lanie said. Kate could tell this was going to be emotional for just about everyone. Castle because she was so young. Kate and the boys because she was in the army. And Lanie because she's pregnant.

"Anything else super interesting?" Kate asked.

"Well yeah. She didn't die from the GSW's. Cause of death was strangulation." Lanie said. Kate felt a confused look appear on her face.

"There was no markings though." Kate said looking at the body. Now that she was closer though she could see a small dotted pattern bruised around the neck.

"Was it her dog tags?" Kate asked.

"Yep." Lanie said. She didn't seem to be in a very talkative mood.

….. … …. … ….. ….. … ….

"Why would they shoot her after she was already dead?" Kate asked no one in particular. Castle, back to his normal self except with the added thought that he was psychic, made one of his normal comments that lightened up Kate's day.

"Picture this. You've just killed someone and you are driving somewhere to dump the body. She's been dead for a while your nerves are kind of calming down. That's when it happens. You here a moan from the backseat. You look in your rearview mirror but see nothing. You think you are just imagining things when you hear it again. This time you turn around for just a second, only, you have to do a double take. What you saw, or what you thought you saw was the girl you just killed waking up. She starts to sit up and you freak. She was dead; she was supposed to stay that way, so…" He stopped for dramatic effect. "You pull out the gun you were keeping close to you the whole drive and shoot her. Not only once but twice. You have to make sure she is dead right? But when you turn back around you realize your three seconds away from becoming dead too. So you slam on your breaks and pray your okay. Of course your not one hundred percent but you are in good enough shape to know that you need to run and you need to run now."

They all looked at him with amazement in their eyes. Kate loved how he could come up with things on the spot like that. He was such a good story teller too. No wonder they pay him so much.

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**Pretty please review. who knows if i dont get a lot of reviews Castle may cheat on Beckett. You can make it so that doesnt happen by clicking that button and writing a little somethin that says what you think. **


	11. Pride and Joy

**Okay. I feel super bad that i havn't updated in like forever. So i am sending out a giant SORRY to all my wonderful readers. If i had say... a million buks i would definately buy everyone a cheese cake or a birthday cake or a pie or a dozen cookies or all of the above for being so awesome. But i dont have a million buks so instead i will just try to update more. **

**Sorry this is kind of a small chapter but i think you might like it. If you dont tell me why. If you do like it let me know. Basically i am trying to say review. I would be super happy. **

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"No man, it's not like that." Jake Dianes, the guy from the security camera from the drug store said.

"Then what was it like?" Kate asked, her patients wearing thin. Jake leaned back in his seat and rubbed his temple. Then he leaned forward again. He took his hat off and pulled a picture out of the brim.

"You see this." He said handing it to her. Kate then noticed that it was a sonogram. You could barely tell there was anything there. Kate raised an eyebrow at him. "This was going to be my baby, my pride and joy. This was going to be who I gave everything to and would do anything for. This was going to be my love." He said and Kate watched as he blinked back tears. "I have been waiting so long to feel good about myself again. To know I could provide for someone and even if I didn't always come through they would love me unconditionally. I wouldn't change that for the world." He said, this time a tear slipped.

"So you're saying Melisa was having your baby?" Castle asked.

"Yeah." He said. He looked completely beaten.

"What happened then?" Kate asked.

"I ran into the store to cash my check. Mel said she was tired so she was just going to wait in the car. When I came out both back doors were open. Mel was in the back seat. I ran to her. I saw the blood that stained her shirt. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed 911 and that's when I saw them. Two little punk ass kids running away." His sadness changed to anger now. "One had Mel's purse, the other had a gun. I wasn't thinking. I flipped my phone shut got in the car and drove after them. I almost got them when a truck pulled out and made me swerve. When I opened my eyes I knew what it looked like and it wasn't good so I ran. You have no idea how bad it hurt me to leave. I loved her. I loved both of them."

…. …. ….. … …. . ….. … …. …..

"Beckett." Esposito said walking up to her. "Story checks. The two kids from the store are being picked up now, they were caught on video."

"Why didn't he just come in right away?" Castle asked.

"Who knows." Kate said.

….. ….. … … .. ….. ….. … … .. …

The two boys had confessed. They said they were trying to rob her and didn't think she would fight back so hard. One grabbed her dog tags and the other shot her. Now Beckett was sitting in front of the murder board contemplating were to start taking it all down.

"You sure you don't mind me leaving?" Ryan asked. Esposito left after they got the confession. He wanted to be with Lanie and Kate had no idea where Castle was.

"No, go ahead." She said. She turned back to the murder board and took down all the pictures. Then she grabbed the eraser and started to erase. As she ridded the board of the last word the smell of Chinese carried to her nose. She turned and saw Castle standing with a bag of take out.

"You're amazing." She said and they sat down. She had skipped lunch so right now she felt like she could eat everything he had. After a while of no talk Castle spoke.

"Kate, are you in this, like all the way, one hundred percent in?" He asked. She figured she knew what he was talking about but she wanted to be sure.

"In what?" She asked.

"This relationship." He said. Of course she was. She wouldn't tell him or even herself this yet but she was one hundred percent deeply and madly in love with him.

"Yeah." She said casually. He smiled. "Why?" She asked. He looked down at his food and then up at her.

"I was thinking that… well… can I meet your dad?" Kate's hand stopped with the for half way to her mouth. She hadn't thought about that. Would her father approve? He knew about her crush on Richard Castle from book one but he also read the tabloids. What would he think?

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**Dun Dun Dun. **


	12. Meeting The father

**So i have a couple of thngs to say. First is that i am sooo sorry i havnt updated in forever. I was stuck but no i didnt forget about this story. Thank you all for waiting and being patient. **

**Okay, so i realized i havnt mentioned Becks or her puppies in forever so this chapter has them. Of course her puppies are just as cool as she was and they arnt really puppies anymore. **

**Becuase i havnt updated in a long time i decided you all needed a sweet chapter. This chapter was one of the hardest but one of my favorite to write. I really hope you all like it. Please review. Let me know if you like it or dont or if i have any mistakes. Or you could just review to say hi. **

**Im sorry and thank you for waiting, i hope i made it worth the wait. **

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Kate hung up the phone and sighed. This was really happening. Richard Castle, New York's bad boy was going to meet her father. She plopped down on her bed and a ball of fluff jumped on her. Her puppy had gotten so big in the blink of an eye. His tail was wagging making his whole body move. He bent down and licked Kate's face.

"Ewe, Bosco that's gross." She said shoving him off of her so she could sit up. One of his ears was sticking strait up and the other was sticking out to the side. He cocked his head and winked. Kate felt like they understood each other pretty good but the look he was giving her now was throwing her for a loop. "What do you want?" She asked. His tail smacked the bed a couple times and his head cocked the other way. "Do you need outside?" She asked. He didn't move. "What do you want then?" She asked. He lay down and put his head on his paws, looking up at her like her was ready to listen.

She patted his head and then got up to get ready. _Dinner with my dad… and Castle. _She had butterflies flapping in her stomach and they just wouldn't calm down. She went to her closet and grabbed a dress. She held it up and looked in the mirror, then turned to Bosco. His doggy eyebrows raised and he sneezed.

"No then?" Kate asked. He sneezed again. She put the dress back and found another. This time he rolled over and then stood up, pawing at the air. "You think?" She asked. Then it came to her that she was asking a dog for tips on what to wear. He seemed to understand though. "I guess it fits this particular occasion."

….. …. …. …. ….. ….

"I'm so excited for you." Alexis told her father as she fixed his tie. "Are you going to…?" He cut her off mid sentence.

"Don't, you'll jinx it." Castle said. He backed away and looked in the mirror. He ran a hand threw his hair and shrugged. This was a good as it could get. Becks came up behind him looking in the mirror. Her not-so-much-a-puppy-anymore puppy came and sat on his other side. She was darker then her mother, not a sandy brown like her mom but not full on dark brown either.

"What do you think girls?" He asked both dogs and his daughter. Becks looked in the mirror, then up at him, then back at the mirror. Jess, her puppy, blinked twice and wagged her tail. Alexis came up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You look great dad. It will all turn out great, I can feel it." She said. He wrapped her in a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"I sure hope so." He said. Then, the door bell rang.

When he answered it he smiled. Beckett looked more nervous then he felt. Bosco ran in. Alexis had agreed to watch him because recently he had taken to eating her soap out of her bathroom and her coffee table leg had bite marks in it. He also liked to hide things. If she left the remote or anything like that on the coffee table he would take it and hide it behind her washer and dryer.

"You look stunning." He said. She smiled. He let her in and gave her a quick kiss.

"Kate!" Alexis squealed from upstairs. She ran down and wrapped her in a tight hug. He loved seeing them hug. At first Kate always seemed to feel out of place in his home, but now she had relaxed and it made him happy.

"Hey sweetie, how you doing?" Kate asked.

"Good, really good. Did you bring Bosco?" She asked.

"Yeah, he's already off somewhere with his sister." Kate said. Alexis left to find him and Castle looked at his watch. In roughly the next half hour, he would be meeting Jim Beckett.

….. …. ….. …. …. …

Kate saw her dad enter the restaurant. He looked around and spotted them. She got up and gave him a quick hug.

"Oh Katie, it's good to see you." He said. Then he looked at Castle. This was it.

"Hello, I'm Richard Castle. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Beckett." Castle said extending his hand. Her dad took it and shook.

"Call me Jim, please." Her dad said. Kate let out a sigh of relief. Hopefully the rest of the evening went like that.

…. … … …. … ….. ..

Castle didn't think he had ever been this nervous meeting a girl's father. He really hoped his hand wasn't sweaty when he shook Mr. Beckett's. They had been talking and having fun which eased things, then Kate got up to go to the bathroom. It was now that Castle would ask. It was the moment of truth for him.

….. ….. ….. ….

Something seemed different when Kate got back to the table. Her father looked happy but nervous for the first time that night but Castle seemed even more nervous. Kate couldn't help but wonder what had gone on while she was in the bathroom.

…. ….. … …..

Jim was convinced. He listened to the way Richard talked about his Katie. He could tell that Rick was head over heels, so he wasn't surprised when he got the question. He had asked a question before he would answer though. Rick's answer was everything a father wanted to here. He had asked if he would hurt his Daughter. Rick's answer was that 'he would do everything possible to keep her from anymore pain, that he loved her more than anything and that to hurt her would be to hurt himself. He said he knew Kate was fragile, and that he knew he didn't have a good reputation, but meeting her changed his life, and to not have her there, with him, he couldn't even imagine it. He said he loved her and needed her with him.' Jim knew that Rick was a writer, but he could tell all of this came from the heart. The way he looked so sad at the thought of losing her that was how Jim knew so he gave him his answer.

…. … … …..

Kate wasn't expecting it, and she thought her heart was going to stop when he got on one knee. She tried to breath, to stay calm.

"Katherine Beckett, you have made me the happiest man alive. I love you so much and I would do anything and everything for you. Kate, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"


	13. YES

**Okay, so heres this little tid bit. I'm telling you beforre hand that when you get to Beckett's dads POV i wrote it a little differently. You will see what i mean and why when you get there. Hope you like it and as always... review. **

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Kate couldn't seem to catch her breath to answer. Words just wouldn't seem to form. Her brain wasn't functioning right, and her heart was beating hard in her chest. She blinked a couple times and then everything seemed to come back to reality. Castle raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her response. Her dad was sitting on the edge of his seat, smiling and waiting. She took a deep breath in and out.

"Yes, Castle, I will marry you." She said slowly. He breathed a sigh of relief before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her passionately. She lost herself in the kiss until her dad cleared his throat, reminding them that he was still there. They pulled apart, Kate feeling slightly embarrassed. It didn't seem to faze Castle though. He was smiling from ear to ear. He looked like he had just won the lottery only she was his prize.

Castle pulled the beautiful diamond ring out of its little velvet box. Setting the box on the table, Castle slid the ring onto Kate's finger. It fit perfectly. Kate loved the way it felt, not just the ring but also knowing that she would be spending the rest of her life with Richard Castle, her one and done.

….. … ….. … ….

Castle couldn't contain himself. He never felt like this with Gina or Meredith. With Meredith it was mainly physical attraction and the fact that she got pregnant that made Castle propose. With Gina… well… he did love her, on some level, but it was more the love of a friendship than anything else. Both with Kate it was different. Of course there was no denying that he was attracted to her. She is a beautiful woman, especially when she wore that bikini at his beach house. But it was more than that. He trusted her, not only with his life but with Alexis. He knew that she would love and care for Alexis and be a good mother for her. He told Kate things. Things he would never tell anyone else. He opened himself up to her and gave her his heart. She could have said no. She had plenty of reasons to. She knew he came with a package deal, his daughter, his mother, the press, and the fans, but she accepted anyway.

With her, Castle felt complete, something he hadn't felt in a very long time.

…. ….. … … ….. …..

Jim Becket-

_I waited nervously in the patient waiting area. They wouldn't let me in, because of complications. So I sat here, now knowing if my world would brighten or crash today. The news was playing on the T.V in the corner but I couldn't get into it. Too much on my mind. Every time a doctor came out that door my head shot up. It was never her doctor though. It seemed like ages when in truth it was only a couple hours. It was a couple hours to many though. I needed to get back there, to know what was going on. I_

_I stood up and paced back and forth for a bit before asking another nurse if she knew anything about my wife. Again I got a no. I sat back down and put my head in my hands. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until I heard the voice. _

"_Mr. Beckett… Mr. Beckett, the doctor can talk to you now." My eyes opened and I saw the doctor standing in front of me. His features didn't give me anything. _

"_Mr. Beckett, I would like you to know that you have a beautiful baby girl who is waiting with her mother for you." He said. I sat up straighter and looked out the window. It was morning already. The bright sun was shining through lighting up the hospital. _

"_They're both okay?" I asked. _

"_Yes, Johanna is still a little loopy from the medicine but she is awake and would like to see you." My cold heart warmed at these words. The doctor led me to her room. She looked great for having just had a C-section. Next to her, in a little hospital baby bed, was our daughter. _

_A nurse lifted her out and handed her to me. I held her carefully in my arms. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. My whole reason for existing. My little girl. Katie. _

"Okay so I'll call you soon then." Kate said giving me a hug.

"Yeah, talk to you soon." I said. She smiled and linked arms with Rick, her fiancé, and they slowly walked away. I felt an incredible sense of loss. How had that baby girl, so small and so fragile, grown up to be this amazing woman in just the blink of an eye?


	14. A monkey?

*Plays trumpet enthusiastically* ANother chapter. YAY. This one is kinda funny and i hope you like it.

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A couple months later-

"Okay so I'm off." Beckett said gathering her things.

"It's only three o'clock, where are you going?" Esposito asked. He was sitting at his desk playing solitaire.

"Cake tasting. The wedding planner has all these silly little things scheduled.

"Did you say cake?" Lanie asked popping her head out of the break room. She was now off work due to the fact that dead bodies and pregnancy don't mix. So instead of going down to the morgue every day she took over the break room. "I could go for some cake." She said with a big smile on her face.

"Would you like to join me Lanie?" Kate asked. Lanie nodded and hobbled over. Kate was planning on asking Lanie to join her anyway. Lanie kissed Esposito goodbye and as they walked away she heard Ryan joke about him being whipped.

"I tell you, if I don't get these babies out of me soon…" She didn't finish before Kate piped in.

"Babies? Lanie, are you having twins?" Kate asked feeling herself get really excited.

"Oh… yeah." Lanie said simply.

"This is a big thing. Why didn't you tell me?" Kate asked. Lanie sighed.

"I was going to wait until after the wedding; I didn't want to steal any little bit of the spotlight from you and writer boy." Lanie said.

"Lanie, I don't want the spot light. You know me. If I could have it my way it would be a small wedding, but Castle knows so many friggin people that it can't be a small thing. This is so amazing. You're having twins. Do you know if they are girls? Or boys? Or both?" Kate asked. She was getting even more excited than she normally would.

"We want to be surprised." Lanie said. The elevator dinged and they got off. The whole way to the bakery Kate couldn't stop talking about Lanie and Lanie couldn't stop talking about cake.

….. … ….. …..

"It's a monkey." Castle said looking at the cage on his table. Not too long ago he had a rodent in a cage here, and now he had a monkey. Nobody was home for him to question about the new addition to his apartment. "Are you a nice monkey?" He asked. The monkey shrugged and pointed to a piece of paper half way under his cage.

_Richard darling, meet my new co-star Kiki. She's nice but don't let her out of her cage unless I am there. Becks and Bosco have both met her and don't seem to mind her. She won't be with us for more than one night. The director thought we should get to know each other before working together. I should be home soon, so please, don't do something stupid. _

"Mother." He sighed. She should have warned him. He sat down next to Kiki and just stared at her for a minute. She was staring back at him, blinking ever now and then. "So Kiki, do you like your job?" He asked. She shrugged again. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of monkey she was. She wasn't too big, but her cage took up most of the table. She walked over to a hammock and pulled a small ball out from under it. She bounced it a little and then brought it to Castle. She pushed it through the cage and held it out to him. He held it for a bit and gave it back. She stared at it and then through it at him.

"Hey!" He said rubbing his head. "That wasn't nice." Becks came running in to investigate. Bosco was right behind her. He grabbed the ball and ran off. Then the monkey did something completely unexpected. She flipped Bosco off. Castle couldn't stop himself from laughing. It was one of the coolest things he had ever seen.

He heard someone's key in the door and then Kate came walking in. He walked over to her and gave her a quick kiss. She looked passed him at the monkey.

"Do I want to know?" She asked. Kiki waved at her and gave her a toothy smile.

"My mother brought her home. She's only here for the night. You should have just seen it, she flipped Bosco off." Kate looked at him like he was on drugs. "I swear, she did."

"Rick, how much have you had to drink today?" she asked. He pulled her towards Kiki.

"Do it again. Give the dog the finger." Castle said. Kiki shrugged and scratched her head. Then she found another toy to play with. This one was attached to the cage so Castle didn't have to worry about flying objects. "I'm not crazy, she did do it." He said as he pulled Beckett into another kiss. This one was longer and deeper. "God I can't wait for the honeymoon." He said. Kate smiled.

"Guess what?" Kate said after another kiss.

"What?"

"Lanie is having twins." Kate said. Castle smiled.

"How does Esposito feel about this?" He asked.

"When the doctor told them he got dizzy and had to sit down." Kate said.

"Big mean Esposito isn't afraid of having two kids is he?" Castle joked. Then Alexis walked in the door. She took one look at the monkey and shook her head.

"Dad, what did you do?" She asked.

"Me?" He said defensively.

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**I thought it would be cool to see Castle with a monkey for a bit. Kiki is just really in there to fill up some space and maybe bring in a few laughs. I've always wanted to know someone with a pet monkey... never really wanted one myself... but i've wanted to be able to play with one. **

**Anywho... the wedding will be coming up in the next couple chapters. As always... Review. **


	15. Labor Pains

**okay... just wanna say that i am sorry that i havnt updated in forever. i hurt my wrist and shoulder and have not been able to type a lot because it hurts, however i have had this chapter part of the way done fore a while now so i worked through the pain to give you guys... hopefully... a good chapter. Tell me what you think. **

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Everything would be perfect. It had to be. This was her wedding. She was marrying the man she truly loved more than anything. So it would be perfect… right?

She looked in the mirror at herself. The long beautiful dress fit her just right and made her feel like a princess. She remembered when she was a little girl she wanted to be the girl on top of the cake because no matter what she always had her man. Thinking about it now made her laugh quietly to herself. Kate smiled as her dad came up behind her and gave her a hug.

"You look so beautiful." He said. "Your mother would be so proud of you right now." Kate smiled and hugged her dad again.

She had thought a lot about her mother in the weeks leading up to today, her wedding. She wished her mom could be here. She would, no doubt, have something wise and mother like to say. The kind of thing you see in all the movies.

"I'll see you out there." He said and smiled as he walked away. Kate looked at herself again, this time the woman staring back at her seemed like a different person. The woman in the mirror looked secure and ready, but Kate didn't feel this way.

"You look so pretty Kate." Alexis said coming up to her looking great in her blue bridesmaid's dress. The color went well with her eyes. Alexis's brow furrowed as if she knew something was wrong. "You still want to do this, right?" Alexis asked.

"Of course." Kate said. Her voice came out in a whisper when she meant for it to be strong.

"What's wrong? What can I do?" Alexis asked, eager to make Kate feel confidant.

"I don't know, I'm just so nervous." Kate admitted.

"I don't know the feeling or what you're going through but what I do know is that you have made my father so happy and he loves you so much. I'm so excited to have you be a part of my family." Alexis said. Kate looked around the small room for Martha. She was nowhere to be found.

"Thank you Alexis." Kate said. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything."

"Could you find your grandmother for me?" Alexis looked around the room.

"Uh… yeah… sure." She said. She left the room and Kate looked back in the mirror. She was just about to go help look for Martha when she heard a crash from the bathroom. She ran in and saw Lanie clutching the sink. Her face was red and she had tears streaming down her cheeks. There was a soap dish broken on the floor at her feet.

"Lanie, are you okay?" Kate asked. Lanie looked up at her and smiled as much as she could before screaming in pain. Kate stood next to her terrified, not knowing what was wrong. After she quieted and she caught her breath she spoke.

"I'm so sorry Kate. I'm in labor!" Another wave of pain hit Lanie and Kate grabbed her hand.

"We have to get you to the hospital." Kate said, forgetting everything else and focusing on her friend.

"Not we, me. You have to get married." Lanie said.

"Not without you." Kate said.

"Girl I've waited too long…" She trailed off as the pain came back.

"Come on, let's go." Kate said. She hurried Lanie out to the dressing room and to the door.

"You have to… to tell writer monkey." Lanie said. Kate thought quickly. She had sticky notes in her purse along with a pen. She would leave a note on the door. Alexis would be back soon and she would take it to her father. Kate grabbed the sticky notes and quickly wrote **LANIE IN LABOR. **She stuck it to the door and helped Lanie to her car. The hospital was only a block away. Kate pulled up to the hospital and was out of the car before it came to a full stop. She yelled to the emergency guy to get a wheelchair and helped Lanie out of the car.

_Everything will be okay. Esposito and Rick will be here soon and it would all be okay. _Kate told herself.

….. …. ….. …

Ricks old friend Will arrived late. He hurried down the hall towards the room he hoped was the right room. He entered and all eyes turned to him. He tried to be quite and unnoticeable but something on his shoe wasn't letting him. He looked at the bottom of his shoe and saw a piece of paper… no a sticky note. He pealed it off and read it. To him it looked like a smudged L and a couple of other smudged letters, and then another smudged L. He shrugged, crumpled it and threw it away.

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**Oh and by the way... how many people cant wait for the 13th episode where that super awsome pick comes in. Im jumping outta my socks with excitment. **


	16. Fluffy

**I need to warn you all that his chapter is full of fluff. There is fluff everywhere. **

**Because you are all such great people i thought i would stick out the pain and give you a good long chapter. **

**This chapter is changes point of veiw a couple of times and then in the last little bit it is kind of a mix of everybodies so im sorry if that is confusing. **

**As always enjoy. **

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He stood there, waiting. Esposito and Ryan next to him. He knew that any minute now those doors would open and Kate would come through. Any minute. He hadn't been this nervous at his other weddings so it all felt new to him. He just kind of stood there, watching the doors. Not looking at the crowd or the people next to him, just watching the doors.

His phone vibrated in his pocket but he didn't reach for it. He wanted to see her right as she came in. But she didn't. Instead, his daughter did. The whole crowd watched her as she came up to him. She looked sad and somewhat worried.

"Alexis what's wrong?" He asked quietly. He didn't want guests over hearing.

"She's gone." Alexis said watching for his reaction.

"Who's gone?" Castle asked hoping she would say the caterer.

"Kate. I went to find Gram and when I got back, Kate and Lanie were both gone. I can't find them." Alexis said. He could see that she was worried about him. His heart sank. He had never taken a blow like this. He didn't know what to do or say.

Then his phone vibrated again. He looked at the caller ID. It was Kate.

"Where are you?" He said into the phone trying not to sound upset. She probably had a good reason for leaving him at the altar.

"Where are you?" She asked.

"At the ball game, where do you think?" He asked. He wasn't doing a very good job of hiding that he was upset.

"Shit, this means you didn't get the note." Kate said and then there was the sound of someone screaming in the back ground. "You need to get Esposito to the hospital now, Lanie's in labor." Her words sunk in and he felt relived, and then he realized what this meant.

"We'll be there in a couple minutes." He said.

"Okay, love you." She said and he smiled.

"I love you too." He said then hung up. Then he turned and saw lots of curious faces. He grabbed Esposito and pulled him with him towards the door, walking and talking.

"Lanie's in labor. They are at the hospital." He said and Esposito went pale. He turned to his daughter who was right on his heels.

"Stay here, tell Gram and have her help you tell everyone. Let them know that they can still go to the reception and we'll probably be there later. If not it's paid for so tell them to have a good time." He said and then he left for the hospital. Alexis was smart, she would be able to word that to make it sound more… press worthy. Of course the press was probably all out front so Castle took Esposito out the back.

….. ….. …. …. ….

"Are you sure their coming?" Lanie asked sounding exhausted.

"They just left the church they should be here in like two minutes." Kate said taking Lanie's hand.

"He has to be here."

"I know." Kate said and then she looked at the doctor.

"I don't know if we are going to be able to wait for your husband." He said and then Lanie had another contraction. They were right on top of each other now.

"He's not my husband." Lanie said breathless. "Yet." She added and Kate smiled. A nurse came in and eyed Kate curiously before talking to the doctor.

"What?" Kate asked when the nurse looked at them.

"Does either of you two know Richard Castle?" She asked.

"He's my fiancé." Kate said and realization hit the nurse. "Why?"

"You're Kate Beckett?"

"Yes"

"You're so lucky." She said and then realized that she had a job to do. "I'll send him and who I'm guessing is the father back then." She said and hurried off. A few seconds later Castle and Esposito entered. Castle saw Lanie and turned around and walked right back out. Kate couldn't help but laugh.

Esposito went straight to Lanie, holding her other hand and smiling down at her.

….. ….. …. …. …. ….

Castle sat down in the waiting room and did just that, he waited. Finally after what felt like forever, Kate came up to him. She looked so beautiful in her wedding dress.

"Well, Lanie and Esposito now have two beautiful babies. A boy and a girl." Kate said. Castle walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug.

"I love you so much Kate."

"I love you too." She said. "And I'm sorry that I wasn't there, you know, at our wedding."

"Don't be. I understand." He said and looked down at her. "You're still planning on marrying me, right?"

"Of course I am… it's just… I was thinking, I don't really want a big wedding." Castle smiled. Honestly, neither did he. Kate looked at him and waited for his response.

"Then let's not have a big wedding. Let's have a small wedding, with just me and you." Kate smiled.

"Sounds perfect. One thing though, my dad has to be there." She said and kissed him. Then Castle had an idea and if Kate agreed he would become the happiest man in the world today.

….. …. ….. ….. ….. …..

"You did so… that was so… I don't even know how to explain it." Javier said to Lanie. He had their baby girl in his arms and their baby boy was in hers.

"They're so adorable." Lanie said. "He looks so much like you." She said. Esposito smiled at that. He still couldn't believe that today he became a father.

"Lanie." She looked up at him. "Will you marry me?" He asked and she smiled and a happy tear slid down her cheek.

"Yes, I will." She said and he carefully leaned over and kissed her.

"I love you." He said.

"You too." Lanie said and then looked back down at her son. Their son. "What are we gonna name them?" She asked after a while.

"I'm not sure about him yet, but for her I was thinking Isobel. Is that okay with you?" He asked. Lanie loved watching him hold their daughter. She could see her being a definite daddy's girl.

"It's perfect." She said and then looked back down at her beautiful baby boy. "I was thinking maybe Derik or Dante for him." Lanie said and looked at Javier.

"Dante is a great name." He said.

"It's settled then, our children are Isobel and Dante." Lanie said and Javier nodded. She wished they could stay like this forever. It was peaceful and warm. She wondered where Kate was though. She went to fetch Castle almost an hour ago. As if on cue the door slowly opened.

"Hey guys." Castle said as they entered. "How does it feel to be parents?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"I love it so far." Lanie said.

"How about you, dad?" He asked teasingly.

"There are no words." Esposito said and Castle couldn't help but agree. He felt the same way when Alexis was born.

"Where have you guys been?" Lanie asked. Kate smiled and leaned into Castle.

"Court house." He said and then he waited for Kate to tell them the rest.

"We're married." She said with the warmest smile on her face. She was truly happy and right now, nothing was going to change that.

Lanie let out a little gasp of excitement and then decided to tell them her good news. She looked at Javier and he nodded and smiled.

"We're engaged." She said and Castle let out a little chuckle.

"It sure has been one hell of a day." Castle said.

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**So... did you like it? Did you not like it? Please review and let me know what you thought of it.**

**Sadly there will probably be only one more chapter. I Just have to let you all know that im not great at endings so im sorry if i dissapoint you in the next chapter. **

**~Oh yeah and i was wondering if you all could be super great and help me get to like... 150 reviews by the end which is only a chapter away. If you could that would be awesome and i would reward you with peanut butter... why... i do not know.~**

**Review. **


	17. Christmas

**Well, here it is, the last chapter. I had to do something involving Christmas because i love Christmas. I really hope you like it and sorry that it is a little longer then normal.**

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Three Years Later, Christmas Eve

Castle quietly crept into the apartment, hoping no one would hear him. He turned and quietly shut and locked the door. He sighed and turned around coming face to face with his lovely wife, Kate. He let out a small girlish squeal. Something was wrong, she looked… mad.

"I thought you would be asleep." He said.

"Where have you been?" She asked tapping her foot. He felt like a teenager sneaking in after curfew and having his mom question him.

"I was just around." He said not wanting to give away anything. It would kill him if she found out right now.

"Around where?" She asked with a still mad but also disappointed, almost sad look.

"Nowhere in particular." He said, he felt bad. She sighed and let her shoulders drop. "What? What's wrong?"

"It's just that… the past couple days… you've been coming home later than usual. We both leave the precinct and you say you're going to The Old Haunt but you weren't there, not tonight anyway." She looked so very sad. He wanted to tell her, but that would ruin it.

"Kate, you trust me right?" She nodded. "You have nothing to worry about. I had some last minute Christmas things to do." He guided her to the couch and they sat down. He placed a hand on her very pregnant belly. "I love you so much and I can't wait for this baby." He said and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too."

Christmas Day

Castle woke up to the sound of someone knocking on his door. He got up; made sure he looked descent, and stumbled down stairs. He opened his door and looked sleepily out at the person who had been doing the knocking. His eyes got big and a smile spread across his lips when he saw who it was.

"Alexis!" He wrapped his daughter in a hug.

"It's so good to see you." She said coming inside.

"When… how… I'm so glad you're here." He said. She was away at college when he spoke to her last night.

"Is that Alexis?" Kate asked coming down stairs.

"Hey Kate." She said running up and giving her a hug.

"Sweetie when did you get in to town?" Kate asked. Alexis smiled.

"Late last night. I stayed at Ashley's so that I could surprise you this morning."

"I thought you were spending Christmas with your mom." Castle said hugging her again.

"She decided last minute to go to Italy with some guy and when she asked if I wanted to go I said no." Alexis said excitedly. Castle felt his heart warm. This would be the perfect Christmas.

….. ….. ….. ….

"Where are we going?" Kate asked. She and Alexis were in the back of the limo while Castle rode up front with the driver. Why? They did not know.

"Why are we bringing all the gifts?" Alexis asked.

"Just wait." Castle said. Kate sat back and relaxed. She wasn't up for arguing on Christmas. She kept eyeing the small selection of drinks that the limo held eagerly. She missed being able to drink. She missed a lot of things, like being able to go out in the field at work, being able to see her toes, but most of all, feeling attractive to her husband. She felt like a cow. He didn't look at her the same way anymore.

"We're here." He said. He hopped out and opened the door.

"Where is here?" Kate asked. She looked at the building in front of her. It was a beautiful, new looking house.

"Dad?" Alexis raised an eyebrow at her father.

"I hope… I hope this is a good Christmas present." He said. "Kate, the loft is getting kind of cramped with my mother and Alexis every other weekend, and now that we are going to have a baby, I think it's time we move to a bigger, more kid-friendly place. So, if you want it to, this can be out new home." Kate felt herself smile. She was going to bring it up after Christmas. She had even talked to Lanie about it.

"I love it." She said giving him a quick kiss. "Can we go inside?" She asked. Rick pulled a set of keys out of his pocket.

"Yep." He unlocked the door and Kate stepped in. The whole house had tons of Christmas decorations. In the living room there was a big, real tree. Castle came up behind her with his bag of gifts. He placed them under the tree.

"This is perfect." She said and he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a deep kiss.

"I'm glad you like it." He said before kissing her again. The way he kissed her made her feel desired again. She was angry at herself for even thinking that he didn't love her anymore.

They broke the kiss off when Alexis cleared her throat. "So I take it we're spending Christmas here?" She asked.

"Yeah. It's bigger and better for guests. We won't really move in until after New Year's though." He said.

… … … ….

Christmas music was playing and Rick was making ginger bread cookies with Alexis. Kate watched and every once in a while tasted but did feel to artistic right then. It was almost six when the doorbell rang. It was Lanie and Esposito. Isobel and Dante ran in past Kate when they smelled the cookies. Esposito was holding their five month old, Derik, and Lanie was holding their eighteen month old Dominick. After the twins they didn't stop. It was one after another and they loved every minute of it.

"Hey guys." Kate said letting them in. Dom seemed a little down. Normally he was super hyper but now he seemed super clingy to his mom.

"He just woke up from a nap." She said. Then Ryan and Jennie and their newborn came up behind them.

"Hey. Everyone come on in. Kate gave them a quick tour of the house and then they all sat in the living room. Isobel and Derik took turn handing out gifts. They would ask who it was for and then set it at their feet. Finally it was time to open. They let the kids go first. Dom didn't like the wrapping paper at all.

Next they decided to take turns. It went Alexis, Jennie and Kevin, Lanie and Javier, Kate and Rick, Martha.

Alexis loved her clothes and her new lap top. Jennie and Kevin got a couple things for their baby and a new, single cup coffee maker. Lanie and Javier got a new bed spread and keys to Castle's house in the Hamptons. Kate got a Sony Reader digital book and Castle got a new poker set. Martha was the most fun out of them. Her gift was small and she was thinking jewelry, but what she got was something she hadn't expected. She got the keys to the loft. The night went on with lots of laughter and love.

After everyone had left Kate laid in Castle's arms while he read her 'A Christmas Carol.' It was the perfect end to the perfect Christmas.

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***Sniffle Sniffle* I'm going to miss this story. It was such fun to write and i'm glad you all read. Thank you all for reviewing previous chapters and hopefully reviewing this one. **

**I've said it before and i'll say it again, im not great at endings however i thought i did pretty good with this one. **

**Well, please review this story one last time. Thank you for reading and have a happy holiday, whatever it is you may be celibrating. **


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